The coach thought Payton was 'fantastic' in the Knicks' win over Washington.
"He set the tone for the game on the ball and with his pace. He got a lot of people involved, kept us organized," he said. "Steady and tough."
The competition for the starting point guard spot is one of the more intriguing rotational battles for the Knicks.
Dennis Smith Jr. has been sidelined since Saturday with a back strain and was not available on Monday. So Payton was the obvious choice to start against Washington.
But, as Fizdale noted above, Payton also earned the nod by his performance in training camp. His thoughts echo what several players privately told friends about Payton's play last week: they said it looked like he was playing his way into the starting point guard job, per SNY sources.
"He was getting us settled," one player said.
Of course, the point guard decision won't be based solely on Payton's play in training camp.
The Knicks still have two weeks of practices and games to evaluate the position. But, as we noted over the summer, the expectation then was that Payton would be
given every opportunity to win the starting job.
Worth noting here: Smith Jr., who was obtained in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, has started 119 out of his 122 career games. So playing off the bench would be a new, foreign role for Smith Jr.
Payton, who signed with the Knicks as a free agent this summer, had five points, five assists, two steals, two rebounds and two turnovers in 25 minutes on Monday. Backup
Frank Ntilikina finished with nine points, five rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes.
to my Knickas.
and you took the bait.
